TSAR'S DAUGHTER MARIE（15）

INT. NICHOLAS' BEDROOM -- NIGHT

Alexandra and her daughters sit on the floor covered with heaps of JEWELRY: diamond rings, golden brooches, silver bracelets, pearl necklaces, diadems, tiaras, jeweled sabers and varieties of other jeweled objects of art.

ALEXANDRA

I've always craved to live tranquilly, to live a life of an ordinary family, outside of politics, struggle and intrigue. So, your Papa can be a farmer.

ANASTASIA

Papa wants to be a farmer?

ALEXANDRA

Yes, to be a farmer is your Papa's lifelong dream.

TATIANA

Mama, maybe, we can use these jewels to buy our freedom.

ALEXANDRA

Well, we'll disperse most of them to our trusted servants to smuggle out.

They wrap jewels in paper and cloth and then conceal them beneath the clothing of their servants.

EXT. GOVERNOR'S HOUSE -- NIGHT

The servants walk through the garden on tiptoe and sneak out of the rear doors of the house in the darkness.

INT. LIVING ROOM -- GOVERNOR'S HOUSE -- CHRISTMAS -- DAY

Marie and Anastasia put their Christmas tree, a Siberia spruce, on the floor.

ANASTASIA

What a shame. We don't have any toys to decorate the tree.

Tatiana puts a homemade diary under the tree.

MARIE

Tatiana, is it a gift to Mama?

TATIANA

Yeah. It's just a quadrille note pad for a diary. Mama always keeps a diary, you know.

MARIE

You've sewn a beautiful cloth cover for it.

ANASTASIA

In lilac, Mama's favorite color.

TATIANA

The cloth is from a scrap of Mama's scarf.

Tatiana opens the cover and shows her writing in English.

TATIANA (CONT'D)

(reading)

To my sweet darling Mama with my best wishes...

Suddenly, they are distracted by Alexei's cry and rush out of the living room.

INT. STAIRCASE -- DAY

Alexei lies on the floor, bruised and bleeding, wailing in pain. The whole household is in panic.

ALEXANDRA

Oh, my darling, dear, what happened?

OLGA

Alexei rode the railing down the stairs from the second floor and crashed on the ground.

NICHOLAS

Doctor, send the Doctor please.

Dr. Botkin hurries up to give Alexei the first aid.

INT. LIVING ROOM -- DAY

Alexei sits in a wheelchair, wrapped up in blanket, grunting and moaning. Jemmy crouches beside him, whimpering. The worries show on the FACES of his folks, siblings and servants surrounding him. Alexandra fidgets with a ball of wool while knitting socks.

ALXANDRA

Oh, my Little One, I'm knitting socks for you. You asked me for a new pair. Your old ones are full of holes.

ALEXEI

I'm not only in pain, but also bored. It's boring. What boredom. Today is like yesterday, and tomorrow will be like today. God have mercy on us.

ANASTASIA

Hey, let's have fun. Let's do something interesting.

MARIE

How about rehearsing a play?

TATIANA

What a good idea. Let's do a play of Chekhov's, such as, The Bear.

ANASTASIA

Sounds great, what's the show about?

OLGA

It's about a middle aged landowner named Smirnov who, at first, intended to collect a debt from his tenant Popova, a dimpled little widow, and at last, fell in love with her.

ANASTASIA

Ha, ha, it's really funny.

MARIE

Well, Papa can play the landowner.

NICHOLAS

Me? Come on.

ALEXANDRA

You can do it, darling, to entertain our Little One.

ALEXEI

(fretting)

Papa, I'm so bored. Please cheer me up.

NICHOLAS

Okay, okay, I'll do it.

OLGA

Let me try to play the little widow.

ALEXEI/ANASTASIA/MARIE/TATIANA

Hurray, hurray, hurray.

Dr. Botkin hands a copy of Chekhov's book to Nicholas. Nicholas opens the book and begins to rehearse.

A nervous Nicholas stands on his knees before Olga who poses as a pathetic but elegant lady tenant.

NICHOLAS

(performing)

I love you as I have never loved before. I have left twelve women, and nine have left me, but I never loved one of them as I love you.

The servants present burst out laughing. Alexei and his sisters giggle loudly. Alexandra looks at her happy son and chuckles.